Flesh Wound
by LegendaryHighFive
Summary: What if something had happened to Castle during Cops and Robbers? How would it have changed their course of relationship? R&R


Castle could see the signs. The way 'Trapper John' was breathing heavily into the phone, the way his hand tighten around the pistol every few seconds, the way he was yelling at Beckett over the phone. Something was going to happen soon, and he was pretty sure it would be to him, rather than anyone else. He looked over to the banker who had tried to service them earlier today, and used his eyes to indicate to his mother. The banker nodded slightly and scooted even closer to Martha, worry for the younger man evident in his brown eyes.

Turning his head back to the direction in which the angered man was almost yelling into the phone. "Now I was clear about the consequences, or do I have to prove how serious I am? Is that it?"

He doesn't hear what his partner is saying on the other side, but he sure as hell hears what his kidnapper yells loudly into the phone.

"I'm done negotiating!"

Multiple screams erupt as Trapper John turns with his gun pointed directly at the crowd of bullets, but what doesn't shock Castle at all, is the fact that he feels a searing pain in his left arm. Hissing in pain, he looks over at his mother as he raises his other arm to cover the wound, making sure she is out of harm's way. Looking down at his wound briefly, he sees blood seeping through the spaces of his fingers from the flesh wound that came from the shot.

It seems that Trapper John isn't done with his rampage though, when he makes his way over to the already injured writer, bending down with his gun now put to Castle's throat. Castle swallows and looks straight into the kidnapper's eyes as he listens carefully, making out his partner's words.

"What was that?" Her voice was panicked, but controlled at the same time. Hearing her voice made him want to smile despite the pain running through the pain in his arm and the slight faintness from the blood loss.

"It's merely a flesh wound, Kate. The next one's for the kill!" John was breathing hard through his medical mask, pressing the gun harder into the writer's neck, the barrel cutting into his skin. "I'm going to make pretty red stains out of your boyfriend, Kate. I have my gun to his throat. If you don't get that bus to me in the next two minutes, I'm going to paint a Jackson Pollock with his insides!"

His mother gasps beside him, and he could hear her struggling against the banker, but he stares straight into the kidnapper's eyes, not showing weakness. Hearing Beckett's angered voice on the other side almost makes him smirk at the poor man; he didn't know the wrath of Beckett. "_Listen to me, Jackass. I do not control traffic. So you're just going to have to give me twenty minutes."_

"Now you got one minute, Kate!" The kidnapper didn't seem fazed by the NYPD detective's command.

"_No, I've got twenty. Do you hear me? Twenty. Because if you pull that trigger, I will go in there and personally put a bullet in your skull."_ Castle would've smirked if it weren't for the gun being pressed further into his neck, the skin cutting under the pressure, and he could feel a small droplet of blood dripping out.

There's a moment of tense silence between the two people, both fighting for control. Then, "Okay, Kate. You've got twenty minutes."

There's a sigh of relief around him as the gun relinquished its point on his jugular, but what he didn't expect was to have the phone put against his ear.

"_John? Are you still there?" _A smile was forcefully pushed back when he heard her soft voice through the phone and into his ear; the pain in his arm almost non-existent.

"Kate?" His answer was almost a whisper as he spoke into the phone, still looking directly at Trapper John.

"_Castle? What happened? Are you okay?" _Her questions came out in a quick succession and this time, his lip quirked a little, before calming once again.

"Merely a flesh wound," he smirked at his joke, before talking to her once again. "Look, Kate-"

"_No, Castle. No. Okay? I'm going to get you out of there. Then you can say whatever it is you need to say. You'll be okay. I'll ma-" _Trapper John rolled his eyes and took away the phone from Castle, putting it back to his own ear.

"Look, you got about 19 minutes before I kill your boyfriend and the others. Alright? Buh-bye." With a bored look, Trapper John set the phone down, and slid it away from the hostages. "Man, your girlfriend's one hellcat."

"Yeah, well, she's not my girlfriend."

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

"Look, we don't have time to wait for a return phone call, so find –"

A loud boom, shaking the floor of the van, shook the phone out of the NYPD detective's hand. Her eyes were wide in realization as she ran outside of the van, coughing slightly as the debris and smoke filled the air where the bank used to be.

The bank that was occupied by her best friend. Unfortunately, just a friend.

Running in there, disregarding the safety equipment that was being thrown at her, Beckett wielded her weapon and a flashlight, instantly yelling out her partner's name.

"Castle! Castle!" She coughed as dust flew into her mouth, rubble breaking and crushing under her feet. "Castle?"

"Kate! Darling! In here! Hurry!" Martha's voice came from her left, and she pivoted immediately, turning in that direction, yelling for back up.


End file.
